Related

It was a statement game for the B.C. Lions. Their defence shouted loudest.

On a three-interception night by Lion quarterback Travis Lulay, B.C.'s defence didn't allow Calgary Stampeder running back Jon Cornish to rush for 100 yards or quarterback Kevin Glenn to throw for 200 in big, 26-22 Canadian Football League victory Saturday for the Lions at B.C. Place.

The win allowed the Lions to pull even with the Stampeders at 5-2 in the West Division, two points behind the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and was a little payback for losses to Calgary on B.C.'s final game last season and first game this one.

“This was like a playoff game,” B.C. linebacker Solomon Elimimian said. “They punched us in the mouth the last couple of times we played them. Sometimes you have to demand yourself to step up.

“I don't want to say what would have happened if we lost this game, but we all knew the stakes and what it meant to us. And we came out and performed the way we wanted.”

The Lions' offence scored impressively on its first drive but suffered through extended spells of futility against a very good Stampeder defence. B.C. had four turnovers in all and uncharacteristically took four 15-yard penalties.

But as has been their trait this season, the Lions managed to soldier through their mistakes and keep themselves near the front of the division race.

B.C. got a 97-yard kick-return touchdown from Tim Brown and forced a fumble from Cornish on the Calgary 28-yard line that led to a touchdown plunge by backup quarterback Thomas DeMarco. Mostly, the Lions relied on their defence, which pressured Glen, contained Cornish and came up with big plays when needed.

“We know there's a lot of getting better to do,” Lulay said. “Offensively, we have to be better than we were tonight for much of the football game. Again, we played good enough in spurts to get the win tonight, but we've got to better.”

“I'm proud of the resiliency of our defence and when you look at our special teams – those two facets of our team stood on its head for about as good a performance as you could see,” Lions' head coach Mike Benevides said. “We're 5-2 and it's Week 7, but there's still so much to come. We'll use this as a building block. But, certainly, the toughness and resilience of this team. . . they laid it all on the line. It was a tough battle and we came out ahead after a lot of adversity faced during the game.”

The Stampeders had adversity, too. Apart from several drops by receivers after good throws by Glenn, the Stampeders lost star slotback Nik Lewis to a suspected broken fibula when he was tackled by Elimimian in the second quarter.

“It was a physical game – a game dominated by the defences,” Calgary head coach John Hufnagel said. “And we just didn't make the plays at the end to get it done. We had our chance, but their defence made more plays than we did.”

Lulay's third interception, on a flea-flicker, gave Calgary the ball back on its one-yard line with 2:21 remaining and B.C. ahead 24-22. But Lions' defensive lineman Erik Taylor forced Glenn to throw the ball away on second down and Hufnagel chose to surrender a safety in exchange for better field position.

The Stampeders got one more chance with the ball, driving to the Lions' 35-yard line with 18 seconds left. But Glenn was pressured and threw incomplete on third down.

The Lions scored on the opening drive, then went 24 minutes without a first down. But they managed to take a 21-16 lead into halftime due largely to Brown's kick return and Cornish's fumble.

Cornish's Canadian running rival, Andrew Harris, put the Lions up by an early touchdown when he caught a pass from Lulay, then sped through blockers and Stampeders for a 40-yard score.

Lulay was not sharp, however, and in the middle of a five-possession stretch without a first down he threw an interception to Calgary defensive lineman Charleston Hughes, setting up the tying touchdown. Cornish's two-yard run capped a 51-yard scoring drive late in the opening quarter.

The tie lasted one play, as the Lions' struggling return team produced the 97-yard runback by Brown to make it 14-7. It was B.C.'s first return for a touchdown this season and the seventh-longest in franchise history.

Major penalties to Lions Lin-J Shell and Josh Bell preceded a 14-yard scoring pass from Glenn to Marquay McDaniel halfway through the second quarter.

After another two-and-out by the offence, the Lions' defence generated a key turnover when Korey Banks hit Cornish after a reception and the ball popped into the hands of linebacker Adam Bighill.

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.